Provided are an information processing, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a refresh control program, and a refresh control method. An information processing apparatus which can work in a plurality of operation modes, includes: a flash memory; and a control section. The control section is configured to acquire an operating time period of each of the operation modes. The control section is further configured to calculate a weighted time period of each of the operation modes by weighting the operating time period of each of the operation modes by using a weighting coefficient of the corresponding operation mode. The control section is further configured to perform refresh processing of the flash memory when an integrated weighted time period exceeds a refresh threshold value which has been determined previously, where the integrated weighted time period is calculated by adding up the weighted time periods of the operation modes.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An information processing apparatus which can work in a plurality of operation modes, comprising: a flash memory; and a control section configured to acquire a time period for which the information processing apparatus has been working in each of the operation modes, as an operating time period of each of the operation modes, calculate a weighted time period of each of the operation modes by weighting the operating time period of each of the operation modes by using a weighting coefficient of the corresponding operation mode, and perform refresh processing of the flash memory, on an integrated weighted time period exceeding a refresh threshold value which has been determined previously, the integrated weighted time period being calculated by adding up the weighted time periods of the operation modes.
2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control section is configured to weight the operating time period of each of the operation modes by using the weighting coefficient of the corresponding operation mode, to correct a change of a data retention period of the flash memory, the change coming from a temperature of the information processing apparatus correlated with the operation modes.
3. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control section is configured to acquire an amount of written data which have been written for the flash memory, and increase the weighting coefficients of the operation modes to be used for calculating the weighted time periods of the operation modes, according to the amount of written data.
4. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control section is configured to acquire a number of times of reading data from the flash memory, and increase the weighting coefficients of the operation modes to be used for calculating the weighted time periods of the operation modes, according to the number of times of reading data.
5. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control section is configured to count a number of execution of processing which has been performed in each of the operation mode, for each kind of processing, correct the weighting coefficient of each of the operation modes based on the counted number for each kind of processing and on a correction value previously set for each kind of processing, to obtain a corrected weighting coefficient of each of the operation modes, calculate the weighted time period of each of the operation modes by using the corrected weighting coefficient of the corresponding operation mode, and define timing of performing the refresh processing based on the integrated weighted time period calculated by adding up the weighted time periods of the operation modes.
6. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control section is configured to increase or decrease the weighting coefficients of the operation modes, based on a usage environment of the information forming apparatus.
7. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control section is configured to acquire a usage rate of a bus of the flash memory, postpone performing the refreshing processing, on the usage rate of the bus exceeding a first threshold value which has been defined previously, regardless of an excess of the integrated weighted time period over the refresh threshold value, and start the refresh processing on the usage rate of the bus of the flash memory being equal to or less than the first threshold value.
8. The information processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the control section is configured to suspend the refreshing processing, on the usage rate of the bus excessing a second threshold value which has been defined previously during the refresh processing, and resume the refreshing processing on the usage rate of the bus being equal to or less than one of the first threshold value and the second threshold value.
9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a refresh control program to be executed in an information processing apparatus which can work in a plurality of operation modes and includes a flash memory, the refresh control program, when being executed by a processor of the information processing apparatus, causing the processor to perform processes comprising: acquiring a time period for which the information processing apparatus has been working in each of the operation modes, as an operating time period of each of the operation modes; calculating a weighted time period of each of the operation modes by weighting the operating time period of each of the operation modes by using a weighting coefficient of the corresponding operation mode; comparing an integrated weighed time period with a refresh threshold value which has been determined previously, the integrated weighted time period being calculated by adding up the weighted time periods of the operation modes; and performing refresh processing of the flash memory, on the integrated weighted time period exceeding the refresh threshold value.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the calculating weighted time period includes weighting the operating time period of each of the operation modes by using the weighting coefficient of the corresponding operation mode, to correct a change of a data retention period of the flash memory, the change coming from a temperature of the information processing apparatus correlated with the operation modes.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the calculating weighted time period includes acquiring an amount of written data which have been written for the flash memory, and increasing the weighting coefficients of the operation modes to be used for calculating the weighted time periods of the operation modes, according to the amount of written data.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the calculating weighted time period includes acquiring a number of times of reading data from the flash memory, and increasing the weighting coefficients of the operation modes to be used for calculating the weighted time periods of the operation modes, according to the number of times of reading data.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the calculating weighted time period includes counting a number of execution of processing which has been performed in each of the operation mode, for each kind of processing, and correcting the weighting coefficient of each of the operation modes based on the counted number for each kind of processing and on a correction value previously set for each kind of processing.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the calculating weighted time period includes increasing or decreasing the weighting coefficients of the operation modes, based on a usage environment of the information forming apparatus.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the performing the refresh processing includes acquiring a usage rate of a bus of the flash memory, postponing performing the refreshing processing, on the usage rate of the bus exceeding a first threshold value which has been defined previously, regardless of an excess of the integrated weighted time period over the refresh threshold value, and starting the refresh processing on the usage rate of the bus of the flash memory being equal to or less than the first threshold value.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the performing the refresh processing includes suspending the refreshing processing, on the usage rate of the bus excessing a second threshold value which has been defined previously during the refresh processing, and resuming the refreshing processing on the usage rate of the bus being equal to or less than one of the first threshold value and the second threshold value.
17. A refresh control method of an information processing apparatus which can work in a plurality of operation modes and includes a flash memory, the method comprising: acquiring a time period for which the information processing apparatus has been working in each of the operation modes, as an operating time period of each of the operation modes; calculating a weighted time period of each of the operation modes by weighting the operating time period of each of the operation modes by using a weighting coefficient of the corresponding operation mode; comparing an integrated weighed time period with a refresh threshold value which has been determined previously, the integrated weighted time period being calculated by adding up the weighted time periods of the operation modes; and performing refresh processing of the flash memory, on the integrated weighted time period exceeding the refresh threshold value.
18. The refresh control method of claim 17 , wherein the calculating weighted time period includes weighting the operating time period of each of the operation modes by using the weighting coefficient of the corresponding operation mode, to correct a change of a data retention period of the flash memory, the change coming from a temperature of the information processing apparatus correlated with the operation modes.
19. The refresh control method of claim 17 , wherein the calculating weighted time period includes acquiring an amount of written data which have been written for the flash memory, and increasing the weighting coefficients of the operation modes to be used for calculating the weighted time periods of the operation modes, according to the amount of written data.
20. The refresh control method of claim 17 , wherein the calculating weighted time period includes acquiring a number of times of reading data from the flash memory, and increasing the weighting coefficients of the operation modes to be used for calculating the weighted time periods of the operation modes, according to the number of times of reading data.
21. The refresh control method of claim 17 , wherein the calculating weighted time period includes counting a number of execution of processing which has been performed in each of the operation mode, for each kind of processing, and correcting the weighting coefficient of each of the operation modes based on the counted number for each kind of processing and on a correction value previously set for each kind of processing.
22. The refresh control method of claim 17 , wherein the calculating weighted time period includes increasing or decreasing the weighting coefficients of the operation modes, based on a usage environment of the information forming apparatus.
23. The refresh control method of claim 17 , wherein the performing the refresh processing includes acquiring a usage rate of a bus of the flash memory, postponing performing the refreshing processing, on the usage rate of the bus exceeding a first threshold value which has been defined previously, regardless of an excess of the integrated weighted time period over the refresh threshold value, and starting the refresh processing on the usage rate of the bus of the flash memory being equal to or less than the first threshold value.
24. The refresh control method of claim 23 , wherein the performing the refresh processing includes suspending the refreshing processing, on the usage rate of the bus excessing a second threshold value which has been defined previously during the refresh processing, and resuming the refreshing processing on the usage rate of the bus being equal to or less than one of the first threshold value and the second threshold value.
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August 1, 2014
April 12, 2016
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